Chapter 8 - The Choice They Could Never Control
Black Tide attacked openly.
Mercer Tower was evacuated.
Ships were seized.
Accounts frozen.
Employees threatened.
But I refused to run.
Vaughn stood beside me.
"We can leave."
"No."
"You could."
"No."
"You don't have to fight this."
I looked at him.
"I've been running from my family's secrets my entire life."
I took his hand.
"I'm done."
We created a counterstrike.
Instead of protecting the ledger, we released portions of it publicly.
The names could no longer be controlled.
Black Tide's network began collapsing.
Their bankers fled.
Their politicians turned.
Their executives betrayed one another.
But the leader remained.
His name was Adrian Knox.
A former partner of Victor Mercer.
He had built Black Tide after Victor tried to dismantle it.
And he had been responsible for my father's death.
Adrian demanded a meeting.
At the original Mercer docks.
I went.
Vaughn came with me.
Adrian stood beside the water.
"You look like your mother."
"You killed her husband."
"He chose the wrong side."
"He chose me."
Adrian smiled.
"He chose a losing battle."
I held up the ledger.
"No."
I dropped copies around him.
"You're the one who lost."
Adrian's men emerged.
Vaughn's security team surrounded the docks.
Police sirens approached.
Adrian raised his weapon.
He aimed at me.
Vaughn moved.
A shot fired.
Vaughn collapsed.
I screamed.
Adrian ran.
I chased him.
But Vaughn grabbed my wrist.
"Let him go."
"No."
"Trust the police."
"I won't lose you."
He smiled.
"You already chose me."
Then he passed out.
The police caught Adrian.
Black Tide collapsed.
The investigation ended.
The trust was dissolved.
The criminal empire was dismantled.
And Mercer Maritime was rebuilt as a legitimate company.
Vaughn recovered.
Slowly.
He hated hospitals.
I stayed anyway.
One night, he looked at me.
"You could have walked away."
"So could you."
"I didn't."
"Neither did I."
He smiled.
"Then I suppose we're stuck."
May you like
I kissed him.
"Forever."
